Bolton Midwifery team nominated for award

The South Bolton Community Midwifery team has been nominated for the Caribbean and African Health Network (CAHN) Award for supporting Bolton’s diverse communities by tackling language barriers and improving access to care.

More than 70 per cent of people currently accessing community maternity services in South Bolton are not born in the UK, or don’t have English as a first language.

The team of midwives have spent more than two years working hard to improve early engagement by providing information that all women can understand.

As a priority, this included supporting early antenatal bookings to improve health outcomes, particularly for African Caribbean women who can be at greater risk of conditions such as hypertension and gestational diabetes.

To help encourage early access to health support, the Trust’s community midwives also changed their clinic structures by offering appointments to women in their local area which can be accessed on foot or public transport, rather than asking them to travel.

A range of leaflets with vital information about fetal movements and safe sleeping are also provided in multiple languages, utilising resources from leading charities such as Tommy’s and the Lullaby Trust.

Savannah Dallas, Community Midwife Team Leader (South) at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Our ultimate goal is to make sure everyone who comes to us is able make informed decisions about their care.

“Nobody experiencing pregnancy should feel isolated because they can’t access their local health services due to language barriers or not knowing what support is available to them.

“We hope that by engaging with all our communities we can improve safety and the quality of care people receive during pregnancy.

“There is still so much more we want to achieve, but I am really proud that the team’s hard-work is already paying off."

The winners will be revealed at the CAHN Gala 2022 on Saturday October 22 at the Hilton Hotel, Manchester.